SPL Round 2: St Johnstone V Aberdeen

[Dandy_Don]

Mackie is God

[One Bobby Clark]

2 wins,  2 clean sheets    Long may this trend continue.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

2 wins,  2 clean sheets    Long may this trend continue.

 

Amen bro!

[octavion]

I love looking at BBC when were top of the league !

[Nellie The Don]

Sounds like Ifil defended well today.

 

He defended well when under pressure. Much better than some of the nail-biting stuff from last year.  Some of his attempts at long passes when he had plenty time were utterly chronic, though.  Definitely an area he has to work on.

[dave_min]

Decent performence, great win.

 

Happy all round.

[BigAl]

Wasn't pretty but by fuck it was welcome.

AFC of last season wouldn't have won that game.

Real determination about the team and a one for all mentality on show.

Three points next week against Killie will keep us undefeated going into the international break and then to the Arabs.

Thomson Jr will be rubbing his hands about how much he can fleece us for given the support that'll turn out that day.

[mizer]

I love looking at BBW when were top of the league !

 

Pervert

[maverick sheep]

Ifil did well. More or less the same as this time last year, before his confidence went to fuck.

[Azteca1903]

He defended well when under pressure. Much better than some of the nail-biting stuff from last year.  Some of his attempts at long passes when he had plenty time were utterly chronic, though.  Definitely an area he has to work on.

 

I'd agree with this. Another main problem, maybe not today but in future, are the full-back areas. I wouldn't want to go through the season playing McArldle and Considine there every week as they'll be shown up against better wingers. Progress on the Basey front would be helpful, while I'd swap Foster in for McArdle immediately.

 

Otherwise all was well, Folly and Hartley in the middle is a vast improvement - even if they're not playing a blinder the opposition midfield isn't going to get an easy ride a la last season. 2010-2011 Aluko is fantastic, as long as he is fit we will have at least some creativity, while Pawlett will no doubt only get better and better.

 

Top of the league 

[Ptayles]

Chuffed to see us grind out a result!

[glasgow sheep]

Superb result.

Felt the game had 0-0 written all over it, but there was no doubt who would win after Barren notched his first of the season.

It's a game we would have definitely lost in the last 2 seasons so great to see a bit of grit a determination about the side again.

I thought Folly and Aluko were stand outs again and what a difference it is to have an on form a winger and a midfield of any sort.

Also though Ilfil was superb. Won everything at the back which is all you can ask.  Can't pass a ball for shit but then we all know that, and he knows that too, as long as he concentrates on defending like that we'll be fine.

 

Now for some negatives.

We need full backs. As good as McArdle and Consi did today neither are full backs and we are restricted out wide by having them in the team.  I'd get Foster in now on the right and bust a gut to get Bassey if MM believes he can do a job for us..

Pawlett needs to be playeed wide right.  Did a good job today but only times he looked really dangerous was with the ball at his feet in the wide areas.  A midfield with aluko and pawlett out wide would destroy most sides in this league.  Maguire did ok but the frustration was always there that Pawlett would have done better.

And then following on from that Maguire needs to be played through the middle.  He is a good, honest player and will do whatever job he is asked but if he is to have any career at this level he needs to be played through the middle more often otherwise he'll disappear into obscurity as he is not a winger. I know MM wanks over this 433, and it has worked well so far, but I'd love to see Magennis or Vernon with more support in the middle and have us utilise our potential out wide to the full.

 

All in all great day out.  Superb win and no reason why we can't be top with 9 points this time next week.

I suspect this side is top6 material and no more and Europe or anything else will be a bonus this year, however this league is so much a about confidence.  If we can maintain this run after the international break when we have some really tough games (united and well away and huns at home) then anything is possible.  At the moment I'll settle for a win against Alloa and a continuation of the fight and spirit we've seen this season against Killi.

[manc_don]

I see ifil won Bbc alba's man of the match. Having finished watching the game this morning, wha struck me was how together the team was at full time whistle. Hugging and cheering each other and the fans. It shows that team moral is high at the moment, we need this to continue. Great to see us grind out this result, as has been mentioned, Aberdeen would not have won that in previous seasons.

 

We're on alba again next week too.

[dickofthedons]

I seen it on Alba but knowing the score I wasn't paying attention to it all. What I wanna know is what did Jody Morris get booked for? Was it him that had his hand round Aluko's neck? Or was I seeing things? Because if that was the case then the ref must've seen it so why isn't that a red card?

[dave_min]

Ifil had a solid game, nothing got past him. I'd rather he could do that then have a decent pass on him.

 

Yesterday was the first time i'd seen all our new players play:

 

Howard - looked dodgy, quite a few simple mistakes in the first half. Managed a clean sheet though, but could have let in 2 or 3 on another day.

McArdle - looked decent enough, not a world beater but good enough for the SPL

Folly - Looked good. If he had a decent final ball he'd be playing at a much higher level.

Megennis/Vernon - neither did anything of note for me.

Hartley - didn't have the best of games, but is a real leader on the park. Does anyone know what happened with his booking?

 

Of the others playing

 

Maguire - looked poor, but was played out of position.

Aluko - looked a different player from last season, his run to get the ball for the goal - he wouldn't have bothered himself to chase after it last season. Good on him.

 

My only other thought of the day was that the 208 is a fucking shite pub. Cheap though.

[Stewart]

After all the debate in the other thread I'd better not mention I got in for a tenner.

[Kowalski]

Ifil got MOTM in the Scotland on Sunday.

[Penfold]

After all the debate in the other thread I'd better not mention I got in for a tenner.

 

Scum.

 

MOTM is a tough one. Nobody really stood out. Ifil had a few dodgy moments but I can't think of anybody else who should have got it over him.

[maverick sheep]

 

My only other thought of the day was that the 208 is a fucking shite pub. Cheap though.

 

Funny, I didn't even notice anyone with pink hair and winklepickers. 

 

I'd like to know who the guy is that kept saying I was worse than funster!  I naturally take that as a compliment

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

I'd like to know who the guy is that kept saying I was worse than funster!  I naturally take that as a compliment

 

WTF the fuck?!!?!

[tom_widdows]

worse than him at what?

[Aberdeen_Ladette]

Superb result.

Felt the game had 0-0 written all over it, but there was no doubt who would win after Barren notched his first of the season.

It's a game we would have definitely lost in the last 2 seasons so great to see a bit of grit a determination about the side again.

I thought Folly and Aluko were stand outs again and what a difference it is to have an on form a winger and a midfield of any sort.

Also though Ilfil was superb. Won everything at the back which is all you can ask.  Can't pass a ball for shit but then we all know that, and he knows that too, as long as he concentrates on defending like that we'll be fine.

 

Now for some negatives.

We need full backs. As good as McArdle and Consi did today neither are full backs and we are restricted out wide by having them in the team.  I'd get Foster in now on the right and bust a gut to get Bassey if MM believes he can do a job for us..

Pawlett needs to be playeed wide right.  Did a good job today but only times he looked really dangerous was with the ball at his feet in the wide areas.  A midfield with aluko and pawlett out wide would destroy most sides in this league.  Maguire did ok but the frustration was always there that Pawlett would have done better.

And then following on from that Maguire needs to be played through the middle.  He is a good, honest player and will do whatever job he is asked but if he is to have any career at this level he needs to be played through the middle more often otherwise he'll disappear into obscurity as he is not a winger. I know MM wanks over this 433, and it has worked well so far, but I'd love to see Magennis or Vernon with more support in the middle and have us utilise our potential out wide to the full.

 

All in all great day out.  Superb win and no reason why we can't be top with 9 points this time next week.

I suspect this side is top6 material and no more and Europe or anything else will be a bonus this year, however this league is so much a about confidence.  If we can maintain this run after the international break when we have some really tough games (united and well away and huns at home) then anything is possible.  At the moment I'll settle for a win against Alloa and a continuation of the fight and spirit we've seen this season against Killi.

 

Agree with most of that, though thought Consi played well for being out of position.

 

Totally agree Pawlett and Maguire need swapped positions. Maybe McGhee playing Pawlett there as not fully fit yet?

 

Great day out!

[tom_widdows]

If anyone caught the replay on Alba, did you think Pawlett looked particularly pissed off at being subbed? Seemed to mouth AWW FUCK when he saw his number.

[Madbadteacher]

Now, If Darren can keep scoring "scrappy" goals we might just have the goalscorer we need. I can remember King Joey scoring a lot of "scrappy" goals, off his shins/thigh/arse/gut etc, etc.....All DM has to do is just keep getting in the right place.

 

Now before anyone puts words in my post, I'm not claiming he's any Joe Harper, but I'd rather we had at least one stiker who's a jammy bastard and the ball can bounce in off of!

[dave_min]

Funny, I didn't even notice anyone with pink hair and winklepickers. 

 

I was hiding out in the beer 'garden'